To a standing ovation, former President Bill Clinton walked onto the stage to introduce “Lincoln” for 2012's best motion picture in the drama category (video follows with transcript and commentary):

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: A tough fight to push a bill through a bitterly divided House of Representatives. Winning it required the president to make a lot of unsavory deals that had nothing to do with the big issues. I wouldn't know anything about that.

President Lincoln’s struggle to abolish slavery reminds us that enduring progress is forged in a cauldron of both principle and compromise. This brilliant film shows us how he did it and gives us hope that we can do it again. In "Lincoln," we see a man more interesting than the legend, and a far better guide for future presidents. Every hard-fought effort to perfect our union has demanded the same, sane combination of steely resolve and necessary compromises that Lincoln mastered to preserve the union and end slavery. We are all here tonight because he did. Let's take a look at Steven Spielberg's extraordinary "Lincoln."

After a video montage of the film was presented, co-host Amy Poehler gushed, “What an exciting special guest. That was Hillary Clinton’s husband.”

This of course was met with huge applause.

Co-host Tina Fey then joined Poehler on stage to fawn, "That was Bill Rodham Clinton."